Hummus Controversy Re-emerges on Several Campuses

A controversy over a brand of packaged hummus made by an Israeli company is again roiling a couple of college campuses in the United States. Student activists at Wesleyan University have succeeded in banning Sabra-branded hummus from campus dining and retail locations, while the University of Pittsburgh has complied with a request to offer an alternative brand of hummus at its campus dining facilities.

In 2010, Sabra became a source of campus controversy at DePaul and Princeton, and a year ago, a petition drive to boycott the product was launched at American University. Other schools at which the issue has come up include the University of South Florida and Earlham College.

According to The Jewish Chronicle and News 8, those promoting the boycott on campus say that Sabra's parent company, Strauss Foods, helps fund a brigade in the Israeli Defense Forces alleged to have committed human rights violations.

Update 12-9: Seymour Public Relations, which represents Sabra, provided this comment to Food Management: "Sabra as Sabra Dipping Company is an American company and its hummus is manufactured, distributed and sold within North America. All of Sabra's hummus employees are based in North America. Sabra runs independently and is co-owned by Pepsi Frito-Lay and the Strauss Group."